For absolutely continuous random variables, this has a nice-looking proof.
We have an i.i.d. sample characterized by density $f$ and distribution function $F$. To avoid subscripts, denote $Y \equiv X_{(n-1)}$ the maximum of the subsample of size $n-1$, and $W \equiv X_n$ the $n$-th draw. Being the maximum order statistic, the density function of $Y$ is $f_Y(y) = (n-1)f(y)[F(y)]^{n-2}$. We want to calculate the probability that the $n$-th draw will be maximum (we do not know the values of any draw),
$$P(Y \leq W) = \int_{-\infty}^{\infty} \int_{-\infty}^w f_{WY}(w,y){\rm d}y{\rm d}w$$
$$=\int_{-\infty}^{\infty} \int_{-\infty}^w f(w) f_Y(y){\rm d}y{\rm d}w$$
the decomposition of the joint density due to independence. $f_Y(y)$ is not a simple density, so we change the order of integration
$$P(Y \leq W) =\int_{-\infty}^{\infty} f_Y(y)\int_y^{\infty} f(w) {\rm d}w{\rm d}y$$ $$=\int_{-\infty}^{\infty} f_Y(y)[1-F(y)] {\rm d}y = 1-\int_{-\infty}^{\infty}f_Y(y)F(y) {\rm d}y$$
since we have integrated the density of $Y$ over the whole support. Writing out this density for the remaining integral we have
$$\int_{-\infty}^{\infty}f_Y(y)F(y) {\rm d}y = \int_{-\infty}^{\infty}(n-1)f(y)[F(y)]^{n-2}F(y){\rm d}y $$
$$=\frac {n-1}{n}\int_{-\infty}^{\infty}nf(y)[F(y)]^{n-1}{\rm d}y = \frac {n-1}{n}$$
since the integrand has become the density function of the maximum order statistic from a sample of size $n$, and so integrated over the whole support, equals unity too.
So,
$$P(Y \leq W) = 1- \frac {n-1}{n} = \frac 1n$$